Potential of Kazakhstan’s grain export trade

ABSTRACT: Kazakhstan is located in the hinterland of Central Asia. Its virtuous geographical advantages and huge grain production potential make it one of the most important grain exporters in the world. The research on the problem of the grain trade in Kazakhstan is of great significance for food security. This study measured its international competitiveness using the International Market Share Index, the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index, Trade competitiveness index and calculated the international competitiveness and analyzed the influencing factors of grain export by constructing an extended gravity model and measured its export potential. Results showed that Kazakhstan has a low share of the international grain market; however, wheat, barley, and buckwheat have strong export advantages; the level of economic development and economic distance has significantly promoted the scale of grain exports. While geographical distance, the difference in GDP per capita, and the fact whether trading partner countries have joined the Eurasian Economic Union have caused obstacles to grain exports. Kazakhstan’s export potential to 6 countries including Russia, Kyrgyzstan and China shows an upward” trend, its export potential to 6 countries including Tajikistan and Ukraine showing a “stable” trend, and its export to 9 countries included Poland and Germany. The potential showed a “declining” trend.

Measuring subnational trade competitiveness

Much research has tried to measure the competitiveness of territorial units such as countries and subnational regions. We propose new measures of subnational trade competitiveness that reflect the economic focus of regions on their country’s comparative advantage. Our approach starts with data on the revealed comparative advantage of countries at the industry level. We then combine these measures with data on the employment structure of regions to arrive at measures of subnational trade competitiveness. In total, we offer data for 1,212 regions across 62 countries and over a time period of 21 years. In this paper, we introduce our measures and provide descriptive evidence that shows the plausibility of these measures. We also discuss some of the many research questions that these data can be used to address.

Agri-Food Trade Competitiveness: A Review of the Literature

Being competitive in the international agri-food trade is an important aim of every country. It should be noted that this term has neither a commonly accepted definition nor a synthetized index to quantify it. The most commonly used indices in the international literature are the Balassa index and its modified versions (revealed trade advantage, revealed competitiveness, normalized revealed comparative advantage, and revealed symmetric comparative advantage) and different export and/or import-related indices (e.g., the Grubel–Lloyd index or the trade balance index). Based on a systematic review of the literature, these measurements were identified along with the major factors suggested for higher agri-food trade competitiveness. It seems that supportive legislation and/or (trade) policy is the most crucial factor, followed by higher value-added/more sophisticated goods, and high, efficient, and profitable production. Although the EU and its member states were overrepresented in the analyzed literature, the candidate countries, as well as other important trading partners of the EU, e.g., Canada, China, or the ASEAN countries, were also analyzed. Thus, some of these findings may be generalized.

Effect of Freight Transport Service Performance on Global Market Competitiveness

The producers, intermediaries, shippers, and consignees, located often thousands of miles distant from each other, require efficient transport and logistics services to get the right product with the right quality and quantity to the right place within the right time and above all at a right price. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of freight transport service performance on international trade competitiveness. A descriptive research design was used. Secondary data were collected from international organizations' policy, standards documents, and annual report of the year 2018 by using the Logistic Performance Index rank. Moreover, a quantitative research approach was applied. The data were entered, manipulated, organized, and analyzed using Excel and Statistical Package for Social Science. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were used to identify and examine the extent of international trade competitiveness and its implication in the global market. As the result reviled the entire logistic performance factors such as Growth Domestic Product, Distance, Infrastructure, Landlocked, and Timelines were found to be significantly important to determine the global market competitiveness. But, the geographical distance between bilateral countries affected a country’s trade negatively. The top 10 higher Logistic Performance Index scores more competitive and better implementer of the effects of freight transport factors; whereas, the bottom scorers had an ineffective market link with their partners.

The Impact of Port Performance on Trade: The Case of Selected African States

Maritime transport remains the main gateway to the global marketplace. Ocean ports are a central and necessary component in facilitating trade. Ports are essentially a channel of integration into the global economic system. Resourceful and well-connected container ports empowered by regular and consistent shipping services are key to reducing trade costs, including transport costs, connecting supply chains and supporting global trade. Consequently, port performance is an important factor that can influence countries’ trade competitiveness. However, for Africa, the ports are dilapidated, lack essential infrastructure, are congested and perform poorly. Africa’s shipping and ports do not always match global trends and standards. In light of this, this study seeks to assess Africa’s current port performance and test the relationship between Africa’s port performance and trade performance. Very few studies have attempted to investigate the impact of port performance on trade. Hence, it was worthwhile to study the impact of port performance on Africa’s trade. The study used panel data that covering the period 2005–2018. An ARDL panel technique was used for estimation purposes. Results showed that port performance positively affects trade. This study argues that African ports require expensive infrastructure to be able to compete successfully. Africa needs to pursue an intensive course of infrastructure development so as to maintain economic growth and improve port efficiency and trade competitiveness. At the moment, African ports are inefficient, and there is congestion partly because the ports cannot accommodate further expansion without serious investments.

The Competitiveness of the Textile Industry in Vietnam: An analysis to the Period of a Decade

This paper analyzes the competitiveness of the textile and garment industry in Vietnam for the period 2010 to 2020. The analysis is performed using two approaches applied on both quantitative and qualitative aspects the Generalized Double Diamond Model (GDDM), analyzed international competitiveness of Vietnam’s G&T industry and compared it with China and impact variables of international competitiveness to market share (MS), trade competitiveness (TC) and revealed comparative advantage (RCA) are tested against the estimated coefficients of these variables. The results from show that Vietnam was less competitive than China and it is necessary to increase investment in fixed assets of VietNam's textile and garment industry, accelerate the rate of equipment upgrading, improve the level of industrialization, and at the same time increase the supply of spare parts. textile materials and lower the cost of raw materials prices, thereby reducing costs for textile enterprises. Keywords: Competitiveness, Diamond model, Garment & Textile, RCA index, Vietnam

Who is Trading Well with China? A Gravity and Constant Market Share Analysis of Exports of Pakistan and ASEAN in the Chinese Market

This paper empirically investigated the trade competitiveness and trade potential of Pakistan and ASEAN countries in the Chinese market. The study utilizes trade data for the period of 2003–2019 to assess the bilateral trade aspects by using an extended gravity equation. In addition, the PPML model and constant market share analysis are applied to examine trade potential and competitiveness, respectively. Market size, distance, trade openness, revealed comparative advantage position and common border play an important role in bilateral trade of Pakistan and ASEAN with China, and coefficients of all these variables comply with the economic theory and are statistically significant. Pakistan along with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand has great trade potential in the Chinese market. Particularly Cambodia and Vietnam are enjoying the highest competitive advantage as compared to other ASEAN countries. Pakistan’s export performance in China’s market relies on the market distribution effect. Based on this study, we have discussed country-specific future policy discourse for Pakistan and ASEAN countries in detail.